As part of his visit to the Chinese capital, Beijing, Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, met with senior executives of Chinese companies operating in the fields of renewable and clean energy. He conducted field tours of technological sites, mines, and factories involved in the exploration, extraction, and processing of mineral resources, as well as the extraction of strategic elements.

Esmat held a meeting with Zhang Tao, General Manager of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), along with the heads of its subsidiary companies, to discuss mechanisms for joint work, cooperation, and partnership in clean energy, as well as advancing research and exploration, exchanging information, and transferring expertise to maximize the utilization of natural resources, according to a statement by the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.

Esmat stressed that Chinese companies are long‑standing partners in the success of Egypt’s electricity and energy sectors, particularly in renewable energy projects that support the national grid. He highlighted the importance of leveraging this partnership to accelerate projects in mining and critical minerals that underpin low‑carbon technologies.

In a separate meeting, Esmat held talks with Chen Dafang, Chairman of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), a massive state-owned defence conglomerate, on cooperation in exploration, mining, and manufacturing related to nuclear‑linked materials.

The discussions covered technical and technological knowledge‑sharing, capacity building, and support for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, alongside the extraction and processing of critical, rare, and strategic materials. NORINCO operates across strategic and defence industries, petroleum, metals, international engineering, specialized civil products, and investment in emerging strategic industries.

Egypt has been expanding its focus on rare earths and critical minerals as key enablers of its target to raise renewable energy to 42% of the power mix by 2030. These materials are essential for solar panels, wind turbines, battery energy storage systems, and advanced grid technologies, making secure, diversified supply chains crucial for the green transition.

Egypt is fast-tracking a national mining strategy with a target of significantly increasing mining’s contribution to GDP by 2030. Recent reforms focus on expanding exploration and refining capacity for critical minerals and rare earth elements, integrating value‑added processing, and building “green mining” value chains that support Egypt’s wider energy transition and Vision 2030 objectives.